Automatic shut-off for faucets



Jan. 21, 1930. v c. J. GORDON ET AL 1,744,073

AUTOMATIC SHUT-OFF FOR mucms Filed March 17, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l 2/ .4 2 Z 37 ZZZ 2a Jan. 21, 1930. c. J. GORDON ET AL 1,744,073

AUTOMATIC SHUT-OFF FOR FAUCETS Filed March 17, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Irv/672$??? CyrzZ J Gordon ficzz/zcl B GoZaZcry Patented Jan. 21, 1930 UNITED STATES OFFICE GYRIL J. GORDON AND DAVID B. GOLDBERG, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS AUTOMATIC SHUT-OFF FOR FAUCETS Application filed. March 17, 1927. Serial No. 176,116.

Our invention relates to an automatic shut off device for faucets and more particularly to a device of this character which may be utilized in connection with built-in fixtures such as bath tubs and the like where all the plumbing is connected in the wall of the room.

One purpose of our invention is to provide a device of this character wherein the faucet is equipped with a valve having connections with means responsive to the rise in level of water in a bath tub or other receptacle but located outside the confines thereof whereby the valve will positively shut off the supply to such faucet and maintain this condition until the water is drained 01f.

Another purpose of this invention is to provide a device of this character wherein the movable parts are so constructed and connected that they may he removed and replaced readily without breaking into the wall in which the plumbing and this device are connected.

It is also an object of this invention to provide in the shut off device means whereby the usual hot and cold inlet conduits are completely isolated from each other when the faucet supply is shut off by the operation of this device and thus to prevent in the case of greater pressure in one conduit than in the other the passage of fluid from one inlet conduit to the other.

More particularly it is an object of this invention to provide a float operated shutoff valve for a bath tub faucet wherein the entire mechanism may be connected in the wall adjacent the tub, and the float valve and connecting mechanism may be reached and removed through the overflow drain opening of the tub without breaking into the wall or disturbing the supply and drain connections.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the description proceeds in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein the preferred form of the invention is shown. It is obvious of course that the details may be varied somewhat without departing from the scope of the invention and we wish it to be understood that we intend to avail 01 n selves of such variations as fall within the scope of the claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view showing my device as attached to a bath tub;

Fig. 2 is a detailed View illustrating in the particular manner of fastening the float casing to the overflow of the bath tub;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view showing my invention applied to a bath tub having the ordinary stopper plug for closing the drains and an overflow directly connected to the drain; and

Fig. 41 is a sectional view of a modified form of valve for the faucet.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, in Fig. 1 we show the bath tub 10 having the drain outlet at 11 through the pipe 12 and valve casing 13 to the pipe 1 1 which may lead to a sewer or any other place of disposal. As shown in this form, the casing 13 is provided with a valve seat at 15 adapted to be engaged by the end of the pipe 16 to cut off the flow of water fromthe drain pipe 12 to pipe 1 1 and permit filling of the tub. At the overflow of the tub we connect a casing 18 in a manner which will be presently described.

The pipe 16 extends upwardly through the pipe 19 which connects the valve casing 13 and casing 18, and through the casing 18 into pipe 20 and through this pipe to a point above the bath tub where it is provided with a head 21 for raising itto permit the tub to drain through the pipe 12. The pipe 16 is provided within the casing 18 with openings as at 22 whereby water flowing through the overflow opening in the tub may pass through these openings and downwardly through the pipe 16 to the outlet pipe 14. The pipe 16 as shown extends through an opening provided in the nozzle or faucet 23 and may be provided with any suitable means such as the pin 24 to engage a slot 25 provided in the outwardly turned upper end 26 of the pipe 20 which also extends upwardly through the faucet 23 for permitting the pipe 16 to beheld in raised position for draining thetub or lowered into position engaging the valve seat 15 to permit filling of the 1 1113,.

.....ll.........ll.iluiiliuiiailllllillllllllllllll The casing 18 serves as a float casing to house the float :27 and this casing is connected at its lower end by means of the conduit 28 with the valve casing 13 so as to permit communication around the pipe 16 between pipes 12 and 28. By this means it will be noted a rise in water level in the tub will cause a corresponding rise in water level in the pipe 28 and in the lower portion of the float chamber in the casing 18. A spider 29 in the lower portion of casing 18 and the depending rod 30 on the lower end of the float serves to guide the float in its up and down movement under the influence of water in the asing.

The float is provided at the top with a stem 31 which extends upwardly through the detachable guide member 32 screwthreaded in the boss 33 at the top of casing 18 upwardly through the pipe 34 to support the valve 35 within the valve casing 36 for controlling the supply of water to the faucet 23. This valve casing as shown has the hot and cold water inlets 37 and 38 separated by the partition 30, and the valve 35 as shown is of a balance type having the top portion 40 and lower portion 41 adapted to control the openings 42 and 43 for passage of water to the faucet 23.

The valve is also provided with the central portion 4-1 which when the valve is in closed position coincides with the partition 39 to prevent any intermixing of the hot and cold water from inlets 37 and 38. This is particularly advantageous since it is quite often the case that the hot water might have a greater pressure than the cold and tend to flow from the hot conduit through the cold conduit into the cold water system and thereby injure some person opening a cold water valve and unexpectedly receiving from it the hot water which may result in such person being severely scalded.

The stem 31 extending from the float to the valve through the guide member 32 is made as shown clearly in three sections having their joints located as at 45 and 46 within the guide member 32. This it will be seen permits the float to force the Valve upwardly and shut off the water when the water in the tub reaches a predetermined level and also permits. when the level of the water in the tub again recedes the opening of the valve under its own weight, to again permit a supply of water through the faucet 23. The purpose of this jointed structure of the valve stem is to permit removal of the float and valve in a manner which will. now be described.

As illustrated in Fig. 2, the cap 47 covering the overflow opening has the screws 48 and 49 extending through the overflow opening at substantially diametric opposite points and engaging in the bosses 50 and 51 in the side walls of casing 18 to secure the same in place. To remove the float and valve structure for the purpose of repairing, cleaning, or re )lacing it, the cap at? is first removed by talting out the screws 13 and 49 and the pipe 16 is then drawn upwardly and withdrawn to leave the opening through the overflow of the tub unobstructed. The adjustable member 32 then is screwed upwardly through the boss 33 a suflicicnt distance to expose the joint 15 in the stem 31 and to permit removal of the float 27 upwardly and outwardly through the overflow opening in the tub. This removal then permits the second section of the valve stem to drop down and be removed from the casing in a similar manner. To remove the valve it is now necessary to unscrew the member 32 and withdraw it through the overflow opening whereupon the valve and the portion of the stem which is rigidly secured thereto may also be withdrawn downwardly through the pipe 31 into the casing 18 and out through the overflow.

Thus it will be seen that by the structure described we have provided means for automatically shutting off the faucet when the water level in the tub rises above a certain point and in addition have provided means whereby this structure can be removed through the overflow opening in the tub and repaired or replaced when necessary. This invention makes it possible to house the shut off structure as well as the drain and overflow pipes within the wall behind the tub and get at the same for repairing without in any way disturbing the wall or removing the tub. lVith the present day trend toward built i structures, particularly built in bath tubs, the advantage of this invention over former devices which when mounted in the wall could not be repaired without breaking into the wall, should be clearly apparent.

In Fig. 3 we have illustrated our invention applied to a tub having an overflow plug (50 for shutting off the water and the overflow opening 61 for permitting the water to flow out when it exceeds a certain level. In this case we provide a casing 62 which serves as a combined overflow and housing for the float mechanism to operate the valve 63 controlling the faucet 64. In order to make the float 65 responsive to the water level in the tub in this form, it is necessary to tap the tub at or near the bottom as illustrated at 66 and to have a conduit leading from this opening to the float chamber. AS shown, the float chamber 67 is formed integral with the overflow pipe and is secured at the top by means of the webs 68. A conduit 69 extends from the float chamber 67 downwardly to a point adjacent the lower end of the overflow pipe and )rojects from there through the opening 66 mto the tub.

In Fig. 4.- is shown a slightly modified valve structure for the faucet. In this figure the casing 80 has a plurality of inlets separated by the partition 81 which has integral therewith the portions 82 and 83 which extend into casing 80 and are received outwardly away from each other and each provide a plurality of flat portions which are provided with seats to engage the circular portions 8 1, 85, 86 and 87 on the valve when it is in raised position. This, it will be noted, provides a balanced valve regardless of whether the pressure in the hot and cold inlets are the same or different since the fluid from each inlet has outlet openings independently of the other.

To aid in preventing any foreign matter from passing upwardly into the float conduit and also to protect the user of the tub from injury, by engaging the sharp conduit, we provide the housing member 70 having the opening 71 on the bottom side thereof and being secured to the inner end of the conduit 69. The float structure together with the guide member and the valve stem are substantially duplicates of those used in the form shown in Fig. 1 and the valve casing controlling the inlet to the faucet 64; from the hot and cold water pipes is also substantially the same as that shown in Fig. 1. However, in order to absolutely insure against any mixing of the hot and cold water in either open or closed position of the valve member 63, we provide a central portion 72 which is of sufficient length longitudinally of the valve to always remain in contact with the partition 73 in either open or closed position of the valve and in this manner completely isolate the hot and cold water inlets from each other. In this form of the invention the float and the valve together with the valve stem and the guide member are removable in the same manner as in the form shown in Fig. 1 by removing the cap 74 from the overflow opening 61 and adjusting the guide member to release the float in the same manner as in the form heretofore described.

From the above description, it is thought that the construction and operation of this invention will be clear and the advantages thereof will be readily apparent to one skilled in this art.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A device of the character described comprising a receptacle having a drain outlet and an overfl w outlet opening therein, a casing secured to said receptacle and having an opening therein communicating with said overflow opening, a float in said casing removable through said overflow opening, a supply inlet conduit for said receptacle, a valve in said inlet conduit, a stem on said valve supported by said float.

2. An attachment for a bath tub having an inlet faucet and drain and overflow outlots comprising a casing having an opening therein registering with the overflow outlet of said tub, said casing having communication with the interior of said tub at the bottom thereof, a float in said casing, a valve carried by said float, a valve seat in said inlet faucet with which said valve engages to close the inlet when said float rises and open it when the float descends, said float and valve being removable through said overflow outlet.

3. An attachment for a bath tub having an inlet faucet and drain and overflow outlets comprising a casing having an opening therein registering with the overflow outlet of said tub, said casing having communication with the interior of said tub at the bottom thereof, a float in said casing, a stem projecting upwardly therefrom, a valve carried by said stem, a valve seat in said inlet faucet with whici said valve engages to close the inlet when said float rises and open it when the float descends, said float and valve being removable from said casing through said overflow outlet.

4. An automatic shut off device for a bath tub comprising a casing communicating with the interior of said tub near the bottom there of, and having an opening coinciding with the overflow opening of said tub said casing having a tubular portion projecting upwardly therefrom, an inlet valve casing at the top of said portion having a valve therein and having connections for supplying water to said tub, a valve stem depending from said valve through said portion, a float in said casing supporting said stem adapted to raise said valve and close the inlet upon rising and permitting said valve to drop and open the inlet upon descending, said float being detachably connected to said stem and removable through said overflow opening.

5. An automatic shut off device for a bath tub comprising a casing communicating with the interior of said tub near the bottom thereof, and having an opening coinciding with the overflow opening of said tub said casing having a tubular portion projecting upwardly therefrom, an inlet valve casing at the top of said portion having a valve therein, and having connections for supplying water to said tub, a valve stem depending from said valve through said portion, a float in said casing supporting said stem adapted to raise said valv and close the inlet upon rising and permitting said valve to drop and open the inlet upon descending, said float being detachably connected to said stem and removable through said overflow opening, and said stem and valve being removable, after removing said float, downwardy into said casing through said tubular portion, and outwardly through said overflow opening.

6. An automatic shut off device for a bath tub comprising a casing communicating with the interior of said tub near the bottom thereof, and having an opening coinciding with the overflow opening of said tub said casing having a tubular portion projecting upwardly therefrom, an inlet valve casing at the top of said portion, having a valve therein and having connections for supplying water to said tub, a valve stem depending from said valve through said portion, a guide member for said stem mounted in said tubular portion, a float in said casing supporting said stem adapted to raise said valve and close the inlet upon rising and permitting said valve to drop and open the inlet upon descending, said float being detachably connected to said stem and removable through said overflow opening.

7. An automatic shut off device for a bath tub comprising a casing communicating with the interior of said tub near the bottom thereof, and having an opening coinciding with the overflow opening of said tub said casing having a tubular portion projecting upwardly therefrom, an inlet valve casing at the top of said portion, having a valve therein and having connections for supplying water to said tub, a valve stem depending from said valve through said portion, a guide member for said stem mounted in said tubular portion, a float in said casing supporting said stem adapted to raise said valve and close the inlet upon rising and permitting said valve to drop and open the inlet upon descending, said float being detachably connected to said stem and removable through said overflow opening, and said guide member normally maintaining said stem and float in operative position but being adjustable upwardly away from said float to permit removal thereof.

8. An automatic shut off device for a bath tub comprising a casing communicating with the interior of said tub near the bottom thereof, and having an opening coinciding with the overflow opening of said tub said casing having a tubular portion projecting upwardly therefrom, an inlet valve casing at the top of said portion, having a valve therein and having connections for supplying water to said tub, a valve stem depending from said valve through said portion, a guide member for said stem mounted in said tubular portion, a float in said casing supporting said stem adapted to raise said valve and close the inlet upon rising and permitting said valve to drop and open the inlet upon descending, said float being detachably connected to said stem and removable through said overflow opening, and said guide member being removable from said tubular portion to permit removal of said valve and stem through said overflow opening.

9. A device of the character described comprising a casing, a float in said casing, said casing adapted to be connected to the drain outlet of a bath tub or the like, whereby a rise in the water level in said tub causes a corresponding rise in the water level in said casing by flow of water through the drain opening, an inlet faucet for said tub, a valve in said inlet operatively connected to said float whereby a rise in the water level in said casing causes said valve to close said inlet.

10. An attachment for a bath tub and the like having an inlet faucet and drain and overflow outlets comprising a casing having an opening therein registering with the overflow outlet of said tub, a float responsive to the rise in water level in said tub, a valve in said inlet faucet, and means in said casing connecting said valve and float whereby raising of said float operates said valve, said valve and means being removable through said overflow outlet.

11. An attachment for bath tubs and the like having an inlet faucet provided with hot and cold water supply conduits, and having a drain outlet, comprising a casing having connection with said tub whereby to be supplied with water from said tub, a float in said casing, a "alve carried by said float and means in said faucet cooperating with said valve to prevent cross circulation between said conduits.

12. An attachment for bath tubs and the like having an inlet faucet provided with hot and cold water supply conduits, and having a drain outlet, comprising a casing having connection with said tub whereby to be supplied with water from said tub, a float in said casing, a valve carried by said float and means in said faucet cooperating with said valve to prevent cross circulation between said conduits, said means and valve having portions preventing unequal pressures of water in said conduits from unbalancing said valve and exerting a force opposing the action of said float.

In witness whereof, we hereunto subscribe our names this 17th day of February A. D.,

OYRIL J. GORDON. DAVID D. GOLDBERG. 

